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Volume 3, Number 9
3 March 2003
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
US:
Congressmen Call on Bush to Abandon "Mexico City" Policy
(news article)
Twenty members of Congress have sent a letter to Secretary of State
Colin Powell calling on the Bush administration to abandon plans
to extend the so-called Mexico City policy, which prevents US funds
from going to any international group linked with abortion services,
to Bush's new five-year, $15 billion global HIV/AIDS initiative.
The
Contribution of the World Health Organization to a New Public Health
and Health Promotion (research abstract)
The author traces the development of the concept of health promotion
from 1980s policies of the World Health Organization.
India
- Recent Developments Affecting Women's Reproductive Rights
(news article)
The Parliament of India recently approved amendments to two existing
laws, one amending legislation on abortion, and the other imposing
a ban on sex selection and prenatal sex determination. Closer scrutiny
of these amendments reveals mixed implications for women's rights.
Global
Standards: Local Values (research abstract)
This article considers the debate around the universality of human
rights focusing on family law in patrilineal African countries.
The second part of the article argues that the whole cultural relativism
versus universalism debate is really about gender issues and, in
particular, cultural justifications found in personal laws for discriminating
against women. Finally, the article advances the argument that the
global/local debate in human rights is mirrored in discussions that
have emerged between northern and southern feminists over priorities
and strategies for challenging patriarchy.
Is
Anybody Out There? Integrating HIV Services in Rural Regions
(research abstract)
Due to the limited and disjointed health care and social service
resources in rural Southern (US) regions, already marginalized groups
have difficulty in accessing appropriate care and services to address
their HIV infection seamlessly.
Experts
Plan Reproductive Health Response as HIV/AIDS Compounds Food Crisis
in Southern Africa (news article)
UNFPA representatives from affected countries reported that steadily
increasing poverty and food shortages compounded by HIV and AIDS
are severely harming sexual and reproductive health in the region.
The
Politics of AIDS in South Africa: Beyond the Controversies (commentary)
Until recently the international medical community's view of HIV/AIDS
in South Africa has been dominated by the argument over President
Mbeki's stance on the epidemic. Applying the tools of political
economy and anthropology to an analysis of AIDS in South Africa
will bridge the gulf between positions and will help in the management
of the epidemic. Suspicion of Western drugs and denial of the epidemic
can be understood as deeply embedded effects of the actions of the
apartheid regime.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
Sexual
Networks of Pregnant Women With and Without HIV Infection (PubMed
abstract)
In this case-control study of women attending the public maternity
hospital in Lima, Peru, the authors interviewed 75 HIV-seropositive
women, 41 of their most recent male partners, and two control groups
totaling 137 uninfected pregnant women and 70 of their most recent
male partners. Few HIV-seropositive women reported behavioral risk
factors for HIV infection, but 79% of male partners were HIV seropositive.
Risk factors in male partners included sex with a female sex worker
or with another man. The authors concluded that HIV infection risk
among pregnant women in Lima depends largely on their male partners'
risk behaviors. Even monogamous women had very large sexual networks.
The
Impact of a Television Soap Opera on the NHS Cervical Screening
Programme in the North West of England (research abstract)
Related news article: Television
Character in England Influenced Women To Go in For Cervical Smear
A character named 'Alma' who died of cervical cancer in a television
soap opera in England , seems to have influenced women to undergo
cervical smears for cervical cancer screening.
Metoclopramide
Pretreatment Attenuates Emergency Contraceptive-Associated Nausea
(PubMed abstract)
Occurrence of nausea and cramping are common side effects associated
with high-dose estrogen/progestin emergency contraception. Metoclopramide
pretreatment was found to attenuate the nausea and cramping associated
with Yuzpe emergency contraceptive treatment.
A
Randomized Controlled Trial of Estrogen Replacement Therapy in Long-Term
Users of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (research abstract)
This study was a randomized, double-blind controlled trial of oral
estrogen replacement therapy in 38 premenopausal women (mean age
37) with a minimum 2 yr DMPA use who had a below average baseline
lumbar spine BMD. Nineteen women on DMPA were allocated to receive
conjugated estrogens and 19 to receive a matching placebo. All continued
with regular DMPA injections. In the estrogen-treated group, mean
lumbar spine BMD increased 1%, whereas in the placebo group it fell
2.6%, over 2 years. The between group differences were 2% at 12
months (P = 0.058), 3.2% at 18 months (P < 0.01), and 3.5% at
24 months (P < 0.002).
Contraceptive
Practice of Women with Opiate Addiction in a Rural Centre (PubMed
abstract)
This study found that women in New South Wales who did not use contraception
often had a low perceived risk of pregnancy for a variety of reasons
including past infertility, menstrual irregularities, and effect
of drugs. The women had concerns about, and often felt guilty about,
the effect of drug use on their children. They also had concerns
about the side-effects of contraception. The study has implications
for education and counselling of women when they enter drug treatment
programs.
Risk
of Recurrence of Prolonged Pregnancy (research article)
Related news article: Dads
to Blame for Late Babies
Researchers suggest a father's genes appear to play a major part
in deciding the timing of the birth, and the chance of having a
'prolonged pregnancies.'
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
Hormonal
Contraceptives May Increase HIV Risk and Disease Progression
(news article)
A study conducted among a group of Kenyan sex workers suggests that
use of hormonal contraceptives increased the risk of becoming infected
with HIV, and resulted in infections that progressed faster to AIDS.
US
Teachers Untrained for Birds-and-bees Questions (news article)
Only a minority of US elementary school teachers are trained in
how to best answer students' questions about sexuality.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
Key
Issues for a Potential Human Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccine
(research abstract)
The article summarizes the major issues discussed at a consultation
held in January 2002 to advise the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention with regard to the potential use of a partially effective
vaccine in HIV prevention programs in the United States and the
activities that are needed to prepare for vaccine availability.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
Namibia:
AIDS Attacking Schools (news article)
The millions of dollars pumped into the training of teachers and
the construction of schools could be rendered null and void by HIV/AIDS.
A report predicts that around 20 per cent of Namibia's total teaching
staff could be lost due to AIDS-related illnesses in the next 7
years.
India
School AIDS Boycott (news article)
Officials in the Indian state of Kerala are trying to resolve a
dispute where parents are boycotting a school which admitted two
HIV-positive children.
VaxGen
Stands by its Vaccine (news article)
VaxGen executives stood firm under mounting criticism from scientists
who questioned the way the biotech company analyzed its results
finding its AIDS vaccine may protect blacks and Asians more than
others.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
The
Prevalence of Domestic Violence in Pregnant Women (research
abstract)
The prevalence of domestic violence was found to be 17% in a group
of pregnant women in northern England. Domestic violence was highest
in the age group 26-30 years, and boyfriends were the main perpetrators.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
Azerbaijan:
Safe Birth Hope for Refugees (news article)
HealthProm is training local health workers, many of whom come from
the refugee community themselves, giving them the skills they need
to ensure women give birth to healthy babies.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Safety
Issues in Assisted Reproduction Technology: Should Men Undergoing
ICSI Be Screened for Chromosome Abnormalities in Their Sperm?
(research abstract)
The study reports results of a survey undertaken to address how
IVF staff perceive this problem, whether ICSI men are already being
screened for sperm aneuploidy and the extent to which IVF specialists
feel that there is merit in such a test. The results suggest that
this is seen as a problem but most feel the risks outweigh the benefits.
Most claimed their clinics do not screen sperm for aneuploidy but
feel that there is merit in doing so.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Britain:
Chemical Threats to Boys' Sex Health Investigated (news article)
Government science advisers want an expert review of the evidence
showing how chemicals, working environments, and lifestyles may
be affecting the sexual development of boys and their fertility
as men.
Southern
Africa: Redefining Masculinity in Era of HIV/AIDS (news article)
Studies and surveys presented at a Pretoria conference showed that
men and boys across the spectrum of race and class feel disoriented
by socio-cultural changes taking place in Southern Africa.
POPULATION RESEARCH
Invited
Commentary: The Potential for Monitoring of Fecundity and the Remaining
Challenges (commentary)
In the epidemiologic study of reproductive capacity, the assessment
of fecundity as a functional measure is complementary to approaches
that focus on biomedical mechanisms and/or that use biomarkers.
More research is needed on time trends, spatial patterns, and particular
groups, especially those exposed to potentially toxic agents. Much
could be gained by general population surveillance, which could
be introduced into existing multipurpose surveys and repeated periodically.
Life
Table Methods for Quantitative Impact Assessments in Chronic Mortality
(research abstract)
A general calculation framework for quantitative impact assessment
is presented, based on standard life table calculation methods,
which permits consistent future projections of impacts on mortality
from changes in death rates.
POPULATION NEWS
UN
Reduces Global Population Estimate For 2050 by 400 Million Because
of AIDS and Lower Birth Rates (news article)
Consequent upon the prolonged and worsening impact of the AIDS epidemic
and lower than expected birth rates, The United Nations reduced
its estimate of the global population in 2050 by 400 million.
Iran's
Population Projection Reduced to 105 m in 2050 (news article)
The population of Iran will be 105 million in 2050 with people living
longer and having a median age of 40 years.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Interventions
for Violence Against Women (review article)
This study systematically reviews, from the perspective of primary
healthcare, the available evidence on interventions aimed at preventing
abuse or reabuse of women. Screening instruments exist that can
identify women who are experiencing intimate partner violence. No
study has examined, in a comparative design, the effectiveness of
screening when the end point is improved outcomes for women (as
opposed to identification of abuse). No high-quality evidence exists
to evaluate the effectiveness of shelter stays to reduce violence.
Among women who have spent at least 1 night in a shelter there is
fair evidence that those who received a specific program of advocacy
and counseling services reported a decreased rate of reabuse and
an improved quality of life.
Sexual
Behavior and Condom Practices Among Los Angeles Women (PubMed
abstract)
In this population-based sample of 1,178 unmarried women, Asian
Americans, foreign born, and older women were less likely to be
sexually active and more educated and previously married women were
more likely to be sexually active. The authors found that African-American
women and younger women are more likely to use condoms.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
U-M
Scientists Find "Stem Cells" in Human Breast Cancer
(press release)
Of all the neoplastic cells in human breast cancers, only a small
minority - perhaps as few as one in 100 - appear to be capable of
forming new malignant tumors.
Female
Genital Mutilation Rejected - Report (news article)
A non-profit media organisation, Communicating for Change, has released
encouraging results of an opinion survey conducted in 2002, in which
Nigerians called for an end to this harmful traditional practice.
Women in Asia Still Lagging (news article)
Significant improvements in women's status require changes in attitudes
that are embedded in centuries of traditions.
YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH
Pregnancy
in Perinatally HIV-Infected Adolescents and Young Adults --- Puerto
Rico, 2002 (research article)
Related news article: Girls
Born with HIV Surviving to Become Moms
Thanks to relatively new and powerful HIV medications, women who
became infected with HIV before birth are now living long enough
to become pregnant themselves.
Does
Pornography Influence Young Women's Sexual Behavior? (PubMed
abstract)
One thousand young women visiting a family planning clinic in Stockholm,
Sweden, answered a questionnaire about their sexual behavior and
if they had seen pornography. Four out of five had consumed pornography,
and one-third of these believed that pornography had impacted their
sexual behavior.
Fertility
Concerns and Sexual Behavior in Adolescent Girls with Polycystic
Ovary Syndrome. Implications for Quality of Life (PubMed abstract)
Related news story: Hormone
Troubles in Teens Can Lead to Infertility Fears
Teenage girls with menstrual problems and other hormone-related
symptoms are much more concerned about their future fertility than
are their healthy peers.
Sexual
Initiation among Adolescent Girls and Boys: Trends and Differentials
in Sub-Saharan Africa (PubMed abstract)
This paper examined trends in adolescent sexual initiation in sub-Saharan
Africa, with emphasis on differentials in social determinants across
gender and contexts. In some countries, observed declines over time
in the proportion of adolescents having had sex were not statistically
significant after adjusting for background characteristics. While
secondary schooling was associated with lower probability of early
sex among girls in all countries, the relationship was often in
the opposite direction among boys.
YOUTH HEALTH NEWS
Botswana's
Boys' Bleak Future (news article)
A 15-year-old boy living in Botswana has a 90% chance of dying of
HIV/Aids during his lifetime, according to new analysis of World
Health Organisation statistics.
BOOKS / BOOK REVIEWS
Partners
in Change: Working with Men to End Gender-Based Violence (book)
The papers in this volume explore the different kinds of partnerships
for ending gender-based violence, and men's roles and responsibilities
within these. These roles in and responsibilities for change range
across the spectrum, from men changing their relationships with
their intimate partners to male-dominated institutions changing
the way they function in order to better confront issues of gender
and violence. Some of the individual, institutional and structural
changes that are required are discussed in this volume, as are ways
in which men can become partners, with each other and with women,
in making these changes.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS / RESOURCES
World
Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision
(report)
This report presents the highlights from the results of the 2002
Revision of the official world population estimates and projections.
International
Migration Report 2002
(report)
This report presents information on international migration levels
and policies for major areas, regions, and countries of the world.
Patents, Pills and Public Health - Can TRIPS Deliver? (report)
This report aims to provide -makers, nongovernmental the media,
policy organisations and other concerned groups with an introduction
to the issues surrounding the international agreement on Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and public health.
Counseling
the Postabortion Client: A Training Curriculum (resource)
This training curriculum for health care providers is designed to
make counseling an integral part of comprehensive postabortion care
(PAC) services. With an emphasis on improving provider-client communication,
Counseling the Postabortion Client: A Training Curriculum can help
providers to integrate high-quality counseling into routine interactions
with postabortion clients.
Getting
Research into Policy and Practice (GRIPP) website (resource)
This website is a resource for researchers to aid them in changing
policy by directly accessing and communicating with policy makers.
4th International Conference & Exhibition on Traditional Medicine, Dakar, Senegal, July 19-22, 2004 (announcement)
5th International Conference & Exhibition on Traditional Medicine, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, July 26-28, 2005 (announcement)
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